WJCT Presents “American Graduate Teacher Town Hall,” A Statewide Teacher Forum on Florida’s Dr
May 15, 2012
Forum to Broadcast on WJCT-TV and Throughout State of Florida on May 24
(Jacksonville, FL, May 15, 2012); WJCT presents Florida’s “American Graduate Teacher Town Hall,” a statewide forum designed to raise awareness of Florida’s dropout crisis. Moderated by Jacksonville’s Al Letson, host of NPR’s “State of The Re:Union,” “American Graduate Teacher Town Hall” brings teachers from the State of Florida together to discuss their ideas, share classroom experiences and provide candid, in-depth and revealing insights into what needs to be done to address Florida’s dropout crisis. Taped in the WJCT Studios on April 28, the one-hour program will broadcast on WJCT and public broadcasting stations throughout Florida on May 24. The program will premiere on WJCT-TV 7.1 on Thursday, May 24 at 9 p.m., and rebroadcast on Sunday, May 27 at 12:30 p.m.
The Teacher Town Hall is part of WJCT’s participation in “American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen,” a national public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to help local communities across America find solutions to address the dropout crisis.
“We are proud to present the “American Graduate Teacher Town Hall, a statewide conversation on Florida’s dropout crisis,” says Michael Boylan, WJCT President & CEO. “The Town Hall continues what we have long been doing in partnership with numerous local community organizations … making certain Florida’s students stay in school and graduate.”
WJCT’s partners include Florida Public Broadcasting, WLRN (Miami), WFSU (Tallahassee), WDSC (Daytona), WUSF (Tampa) and WEDU (Tampa). These stations, together with more than 60 other public media and television stations around the country, are working directly with their communities to address the dropout crisis.
WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for the First Coast. More information about WJCT’s television and radio programming is available at wjct.org.
ABOUT WJCT. WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, delivering television, radio and online content and further enhancing the community through special events and outreach activities. WJCT’s local productions include the award-winning First Coast Connect call-in radio program, quarterly First Coast Forums, and a diversity of After Hours music programs. In addition to promoting high-school graduation through its participation in “American Graduate” and its continuing partnership with Jacksonville Public Education Fund, WJCT has been a partner in the Reclaiming Young Black Males for Jacksonville’s Future project for five years. WJCT provides programming and services that celebrate human diversity, encourage joyful learning and promote civic participation, all to empower citizens to improve the quality of their lives.
About American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen. The public media initiative, American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, is helping communities across America identify and implement solutions to address the high school dropout crisis. Made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the multi-year campaign is designed to raise awareness and dialogue through national and local multiplatform programming. Targeting communities with highest dropout rates, the initiative also increases local engagement and action through collaborations and partnerships, and increases student engagement through teacher professional development and classroom curricula. Public radio and television stations – locally owned and operated – reach 99% of the country over the air, have built models for successful intervention in early learning, and have deep connections in the communities they serve. More than 600 partnerships have been formed locally through American Graduate and CPB is partnering with America’s Promise Alliance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Visit American Graduate on Facebook, Twitter or AmericanGraduate.org.
About CPB. CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operation of more than 1,300 locally-owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.
WJCT Leads Centralized Broadcast Operations Projec for Public Television Stations
April 19, 2012
TO BE BASED IN JACKSONVILLE
$7 Million In Federal Funds Awarded for Digital Convergence Alliance Project
(Jacksonville, FL, April 19, 2012); WJCT Public Broadcasting is leading a partnership of six public television stations that will be merging a critical component of their operations and bringing a number of high tech positions to the First Coast. The Digital Convergence Alliance (DCA), a not-for-profit corporation, will be operating a centralized broadcast operations facility that will initially serve its partnering stations WJCT in Jacksonville; WFSU, Tallahassee; WBCC, Cocoa; Tampa stations WUSF and WEDU; and WPBA, Atlanta, but is actively seeking PTV stations from around the country to be a part of the venture as well.
The $7 million competitive grant awarded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is to cover 90 percent of the funds necessary to purchase the equipment for the facility. While currently six partners are involved in the project the funding provides DCA with the capacity to involve 10 to 12 PTV stations and handle up to 34 broadcast channels. WJCT President and CEO Michael Boylan sees this as only the beginning. “We at WJCT Public Broadcasting spearheaded this project in recognition of the fact that as a system, public broadcasting needs to embrace monumental change.”
The facility will be located in Jacksonville at the hurricane-secure Colo5 facility. JCT Services LLC, a subsidiary of WJCT, Inc., will be managing the service and expects to be actively recruiting 15 to 20 employees to assist in the operation of the facility. The facility has the ability to serve public broadcasters far beyond the southeastern group since geography is no longer an issue and modern fiber-optics reduce the costs of linking an out-of-state station to the North Florida facility. Once it’s fully operational Boylan expects there will be many more PTV stations joining the venture. There also is the potential to provide more than broadcast operations services to the partner stations by creating revenue and marketing content.
Partner stations, including WEDU in Tampa, endorse the vision of the project and applaud its mission for helping keep costs low and quality high. WEDU President and CEO Susan Howarth says, “WEDU is excited to be part of the Joint Master Control project. We see this as a way we can reduce the cost of transmitting our content so we can invest more resources in the creation of quality programs that will enable us to better fulfill our mission.” The Corporation for Public Broadcasting estimates cost savings to the stations of $15 million to $20 million over the next 10 years.
WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for the First Coast. For more information on WJCT’s television and radio programming, log on to WJCT Online at wjct.org.
WJCT and Florida Stations Are Part of “American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen”
April 5, 2012
A National Public Media Initiative to Address the Dropout Crisis
(Jacksonville, FL, April 5, 2012); In partnership with FPBS and Florida public broadcasting stations, WJCT has launched a series of broadcast, online and community activities in support of ”American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen,” a national public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to help communities across America to address the high school dropout crisis.
Every year, one million young people drop out of school nationwide. In Florida, nearly 90,500 students did not graduate from high schools in 2010, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education. The lost lifetime earnings in Florida for that class of dropouts alone total nearly $24 billion.
“Education has always been at the center of public broadcasting,” said Michael Boylan, WJCT President and CEO. “We are proud to be a part of this important national initiative because it affirms what we have long been doing in partnership with numerous local community organizations … to make certain Florida’s students stay in school and graduate. We cannot allow another generation of our young people to fall through the cracks.”
“Each year, one out of every four students makes the life altering decision to drop out of school resulting in severe consequences for their future and our country,” said Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB. “Through the ‘American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen’ initiative, America’s public radio and television stations – locally owned and operated – are engaging local nonprofit partners, business leaders, parents and teachers to help young people stay on the path to a high school diploma.”
Florida’s efforts in support of “American Graduate” are unique, in that they involve a statewide collaboration. WJCT’s partners include the statewide association FPBS, along with stations WLRN (Miami), WFSU (Tallahassee), WDSC (Daytona), WUSF (Tampa) and WEDU (Tampa).
Together and individually, Florida’s stations are developing a blend of media across several platforms – TV, radio, online – and community engagement efforts designed to raise public awareness and offer solutions to increase Florida high school graduation rates. They join more than 60 other public media and television stations around the country that are working directly with their communities to address the dropout crisis.
Joint efforts include the “American Graduate Teacher Town Hall,” which will take place in the WJCT Studios on April 28. Moderated by NPR’s Al Letson, the statewide conversation will give teachers an opportunity to be heard on Florida’s dropout crisis. The forum will be taped for primetime broadcast throughout the state in May. To participate in the April 28th forum, teachers must complete an online survey and register at wjct.org/americangraduate.
On the First Coast, WJCT continues to partner with Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) in its “ONE by ONE” campaign to increase civic engagement in education, and is also partnering with Community First Credit Union to present the “TEACH” celebration, a one-day professional development conference for teachers at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront on September 15. More information about these and WJCT’s other local efforts is available at wjct.org/americangraduate.
WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for the First Coast. For more information about WJCT’s television and radio programming, visit WJCT Online at wjct.org.
About American Graduate. The public media initiative, American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, is helping communities across America identify and implement solutions to address the high school dropout crisis. Made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the multi-year campaign is designed to raise awareness and dialogue through national and local multiplatform programming. Targeting communities with highest dropout rates, the initiative also increases local engagement and action through collaborations and partnerships, and increases student engagement through teacher professional development and classroom curricula. Public radio and television stations – locally owned and operated – reach 99% of the country over the air, have built models for successful intervention in early learning, and have deep connections in the communities they serve. More than 600 partnerships have been formed locally through American Graduate and CPB is partnering with America’s Promise Alliance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Visit American Graduate on Facebook, Twitter or AmericanGraduate.org.
About WJCT. WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, delivering television, radio and online content and further enhancing the community through special events and outreach activities. WJCT’s local productions include the award-winning First Coast Connect call-in radio program, quarterly First Coast Forums, and a diversity of After Hours music programs. In addition to promoting high-school graduation through its participation in “American Graduate” and its continuing partnership with Jacksonville Public Education Fund, WJCT has been a partner in the Reclaiming Young Black Males for Jacksonville’s Future project for five years. WJCT provides programming and services that celebrate human diversity, encourage joyful learning and promote civic participation, all to empower citizens to improve the quality of their lives.
About CPB. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,300 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.
Call for Participants: Televised Teacher Forum on Florida Dropout Crisis
April 3, 2012
Forum to Broadcast on WJCT-TV and Throughout State of Florida
(Jacksonville, FL, April 3, 2012); WJCT will host a Teacher Town Hall on Florida’s dropout crisis on April 28, and invites Florida teachers to participate in the statewide conversation. The American Graduate Teacher Town Hall will take place in the WJCT Studios on April 28. Jacksonville’s Al Letson, host of NPR’s State of the Re:Union, will serve as moderator. The April 28th forum will be taped and edited to a one-hour broadcast, which will air on WJCT and public broadcasting stations throughout Florida in May.
The Teacher Town Hall is part of WJCT’s participation in “American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen,” a national public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to help local communities across America find solutions to address the dropout crisis.
The American Graduate Teacher Town Hall is designed to raise awareness of Florida’s dropout crisis, and to give Florida teachers an opportunity to share their classroom experiences, suggestions and ideas. The Teacher Town Hall will take place on April 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. To participate, teachers must register and complete an online survey, which can be done at wjct.org/americangraduate. The survey asks local teachers about their perspectives on the dropout crisis and will inform the agenda for the Teacher Town Hall event. More information is available by calling WJCT Grants/Community Relations Manager Circe LeNoble at 904.358.6329. Door prizes include an opportunity to attend the WNET Celebration of Teaching and Learning in New York City in March 2013.
“We are pleased to host the American Graduate Teacher Town Hall, which will address Florida’s dropout crisis from the perspective of classroom teachers,” says WJCT President & CEO Michael Boylan. “We want to give teachers a forum to exchange ideas and work together to encourage young people to stay in school.”
WJCT’s partners include Florida Public Broadcasting, WLRN (Miami), WFSU (Tallahassee), WDSC (Daytona), WUSF (Tampa) and WEDU (Tampa). These stations, together with more than 60 other public media and television stations around the country, are working directly with their communities to address the dropout crisis.
WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for the First Coast. For more information about WJCT’s television and radio programming, visit WJCT Online at wjct.org.
ABOUT WJCT. WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, delivering television, radio and online content and further enhancing the community through special events and outreach activities. WJCT’s local productions include the award-winning First Coast Connect call-in radio program, quarterly First Coast Forums, and a diversity of After Hours music programs. WJCT provides programming and services that celebrate human diversity, encourage joyful learning and promote civic participation, all to empower citizens to improve the quality of their lives.
About American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen. The public media initiative, American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, is helping communities across America identify and implement solutions to address the high school dropout crisis. Made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the multi-year campaign is designed to raise awareness and dialogue through national and local multiplatform programming. Targeting communities with highest dropout rates, the initiative also increases local engagement and action through collaborations and partnerships, and increases student engagement through teacher professional development and classroom curricula. Public radio and television stations – locally owned and operated – reach 99% of the country over the air, have built models for successful intervention in early learning, and have deep connections in the communities they serve. More than 600 partnerships have been formed locally through American Graduate and CPB is partnering with America’s Promise Alliance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Visit American Graduate on Facebook, Twitter or AmericanGraduate.org.
About CPB. CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operation of more than 1,300 locally-owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.
WJCT Adds “The Number 73” To Radio Lineup
March 29, 2012
New “After Hours” Radio Program Features Jacksonville Jaguar Eben Britton
“The Number 73,” a new local music program, joins the “After Hours” music schedule on 89.9 WJCT-FM. Hosted by Eben Britton (Jacksonville Jaguar” #73), the weekly radio program takes listeners on a journey into literature and music. Each week, Britton will tell listeners a story by blending a playlist of music with selected pieces of literature. The music is eclectic, and the literary content is anything and everything, ranging from brief quotations to excerpts from epic novels. “The Number 73” airs Wednesdays at 11 p.m. on 89.9 WJCT-FM, beginning April 4.
Eben Britton is a starting offensive lineman for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was born in New York City and grew up in Los Angeles. Britton attended the University of Arizona, in Tucson, on a full football scholarship, where he earned a degree in Creative Writing.
WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for the First Coast. For more information about WJCT’s television and radio programming, visit WJCT Online at wjct.org.